Yiying (Ruby) Qiu | Reimagining Housing: Life After the Pandemic

REIMAGINING HOUSING: Life After the Pandemic

Yiying Qiu | M.Arch University of Cincinnati 2021

ABSTRACT

As working from home is becoming the new normal due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a growing need for home offices in the housing market. Yet the old home office concept does not suit in a socially-distanced world. The lack of social interaction and the blurred line between personal and professional life are some of the main problems people are complaining about after they started telecommuting for a long period due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This thesis explores the spatial relationship between home and work-

place, from the medieval longhouse to the modern work home. Specifically, this thesis explains the need to combine dwelling and workplace by looking at the history of live / work projects when this building concept was first introduced to the public and its development in the past. By analyzing the design rationale and its historic contexts, this thesis explores the architectural response to the current housing problems in a COVID world and the residential design in the future.

This thesis proposes a multi-family housing complex that integrates flexi-

ble space design, sustainability, and urban farming to provide a self-resilient community in a pandemic. The intention is to seek new perspectives on housing to better protect working people in the next pandemic on a global scale. The design approach can be applied to other housing complex projects if needed in the future.

ABSTRACT

LIVE/WORK COMPLEX

LIVE/WORK COMPLEX

ROOFTOP FARMING

ROOFTOP FARMING

OUTDOOR MOVIE

OUTDOOR MOVIE

ENTRANCE

ENTRANCE

INTRODUCTION

Tech giants allow employees to permanently work from home

2019

2020

2021

White-collar employee works from home permanently

A cluster of cases of pneumonia reported in Wuhan, China

NOW

2025

2030

INTRODUCTION

Cities around the world became car-independent

SITE

SITE

SITE

SITE

DIAGRAM

01

02

04

05

EXTRUDE

SETBACK

LIVE-NEARBY

COURTYARD

03

LIVE-NEAR

06

LIVE-WITH

DIAGRAM

AXONOMETRIC

SITE PLAN

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

2ND FLOOR PLAN

2ND FLOOR PLAN

UNIT FLOOR PLAN

UNIT FLOOR PLAN

UNIT FLOOR PLAN

VR PLAY AREA (8.2’ X 8.2’)

UNIT FLOOR PLAN

UNIT ROOF PLAN

UNIT ROOF PLAN

OUTDOOR DINING

OUTDOOR DINING

WEST ELEVATION

WEST ELEVATION

SOUTH SECTION

SOUTH SECTION